Monroe Horse Bowl kids place 5th in nation

he Snohomish County Horse Bowl Team accepts a fifth-place award after competing in the national 4H Horse Bowl Championship in Kentucky last month. Left to right are: Coach R. A. Mazzola, Bethany Garver, Lauren McGuire, Katelyn Peterson, Margaret Fitzgerald and Stephanie King.

While in Kentucky, the girls got a chance to watch riders practice at Churchill Downs, site of the Kentucky Derby.Photos courtesy of Paula Garvey

A team of 4H girls from Snohomish County, including one from Maltby and several from Monroe, traveled to Kentucky in early November to compete in the national Horse Bowl Championship and took fifth place.

The team of girls, including Bethany Garver of Monroe, Katelyn Peterson of Monroe, Margaret Fitzgerald of Carnation, Lauren McGuire of Monroe and Stephanie King of Maltby, won at a local competition, then went on to win the state competition, earning the right to represent Washington at the national competition.

Horse Bowl contestants are quizzed on knowledge about horses, including detailed knowledge of their skeletal structures, traits of various breeds and more.

The team flew to Louisville, Ky., Nov. 7, and competed Nov. 9. After an awards banquet, the team, as well as Loren Stewart of Monroe, a friend who accompanied the team, had several days to see some of the most important equestrian sites in the nation, including legendary racetrack Churchill Downs.

“It was really exciting to stand where some of the most amazing events in horse racing took place, and meet some of the horses that made them so amazing,” said McGuire.

The experience was a dream-come-true for Garver, who as an individual placed second in the nation.

“Ever since I started competing in Horse Bowl, I knew I wanted to compete at Nationals in Kentucky,” she said. “My experience there, competing and touring, exceeded even my wildest dreams. I had a great time.”